grub vs. grub

It's been a decade since the Loop's best German restaurant closed its doors to the adoring masses, only to reopen a year later in a pared down version of its historic space.

Anyone who knows a schnitzel about Chicago food is aware that The Berghoff, 17 W. Adams St., was until 2006 one of the busiest restaurants in the city due to its incredible menu, customer service, and bar. I dutifully qeued up at its famed carving station day after day, ordering delicious cod, turkey, corned beef, roast beef, meatloaf, and sauerbraten sandwiches. My old standby, though, was the exquisite veal bratwurst, split lengthwise and served with sauerkraut on rye bread. I'd add a little Dusseldorf mustard, grab a Berghoff beer, and feast.

Although I banned the Berghoff from my regular lunch routine back in 2006, I return every few years to see what's become of the brat. I take pix and notes with every visit, which I offer for your consumption below.

2006 TASTE: PRESENTATION: AMBIENCE: The hot, savory flavors from the veal intermingle with the cool, sour juices from the kraut, resulting in an exquisite taste and divine texture. Meanwhile the ambience is genuinely historic and the service professional and efficient. The age-old carvers relish their jobs, expertly stabbing brats from under a heat lamp, slicing them perfectly in half and adding kraut with a flourish. The lines are long but the wait is worth it.

2009 TASTE: PRESENTATION: AMBIENCE: The ingredients are allegedly the same, but the brat is room temperature, lacks a snap, and the sauerkraut is bland. The brat I ordered was the last one available at 12:30 on a Wednesday. The carving station dude plucked it from a watery tub and, instead of cutting it in equal halves, decided a one-third/two-third split was more appropriate, resulting a grossly lopsided sandwich. The real plate was a nice touch.

2012 TASTE: PRESENTATION: AMBIENCE: Surprisingly youthful carvers continue to absent-mindedly slice the sausages in an off-center fashion and they skimped on the kraut. The hearty, oval rye bread has been replaced by pale slices of square bread that are also randomly split. So much very German precision.

2015 TASTE: PRESENTATION: AMBIENCE: The brat now comes on a pretzel bun, which complicates the taste and texture of an otherwise simple sandwich. Chips and mustard are standard sides since the carving station was removed in January 2015. Nowadays, the bartender takes your order and gives you a pole with a number on it that identifies your location to servers, even if you're the only person at the bar. The sausage itself seems the same, but the experience? Nein.